The Board of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), on Sunday announced the re-appointment of Keith Shiri, a UK based international film curator and programme advisor, as president of the jury for the 19th edition of the award.
This was stated in a statement by Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, coordinator of the award, in Lagos.
AMAA awards are presented annually to honour, promote, and recognise excellence in the African movie industry and in the diaspora.
It was founded by the late Peace Anyiam-Osigwe and it is run through AFA.
Shiri, a Zimbabwean, is an advisor to several international film festivals, who presided over the 12 man board of international jurors of the awards in 2022.
Shiri is expected to again lead other respected curators and renowned filmmakers and critics that make up the AMAA Jury, to decide nominees and eventual winners in the 26 categories of the 2023 edition scheduled to hold in Lagos sometime in October.
Other members of the jury include Dorothee Wenner, international fllm curator and programmer for the Berlin International Film Festival; Film curator and archivist June Giviani; Burkinabe-Swiss born filmmaker, Berni Goldblat; Ambassador and former Burkina Faso Minister of Culture, Phillipe Savadego and filmmaker John Akomfrah.
Others are former Commissioner for Culture in Lagos State, Mr Steve Ayorinde; award winning filmmaker, Charles Brunnet; journalist and creative industry expert, Dr Shaibu Husseini; and Executive Director of the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles, Asentewa Olatunji among others.
“We are very excited to welcome Keith Shiri back as President of Jury for 2023. AMAA has a tradition where jurors have an opportunity to preside over the jury for two editions running. Recall that Hon. Steve Ayorinde was jury President for 2020 and 2021 edition.
“So, we are sustaining that tradition by further extending the tenure of Shiri who is a founding juror at the AMAA and a promoter of African art and film as the president of the AMAA 2023 Jury,” Anyiam-Osigwe said.
He further explained that Shiri’s experience and vast knowledge of African films which had spanned over three decades coupled with his expertise which had seen him serve in different international organisations made him a great fit for this position.
“We look forward to continuing our strong ties with the board of jurors at the academy under his leadership as President of the Jury.”
Reacting to the news of his re-appointment, Shiri thanked the AFA Board for his reappointment but noted that it was sad that he would be presiding over a jury in the first edition without the founder and CEO, Peace Anyiam- Osigwe.
“I don’t know what to say but of course it is rather sad to preside over this first edition without our CEO, founder and sister Peace Ogechi Marie Anyiam-Osigwe. But we have an award to deliver and deliver we must,” he said.
No fewer than 368 entries were received for this year’s award. However, the selection committee chaired by Dr Shaibu Husseini has commended 102 films in different genre to the AMAA jurors for nominations.
The nominations, according to Shaibu, will be announced on Sept. 20.